Off-Road Facilities Part 1: Shared Use Path Design

Off-Road Facilities Part 1: Shared Use Path Design Presentation by: Eric Mongelli, P.E. Tom Huber October 9, 2012

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WEBINAR #5: OFF- ROAD FACILITIES PART 1: SHARED USE PATH DESIGN Today s Webinar Significant Expansion on Shared Use Path Design Basics Users, Purpose, Location Sidepaths Widths and Clearance Design Speed Alignment Slopes & Gradients Stopping Sight Distance Other Design Considerations

FUTURE WEBINARS August 10: Overview August 22: Planning Chapter September 4: On-Road Bikeways Part I Bike Lanes (including Intersections) September 18: On-Road Bikeways Part II Shared lanes Bicycle boulevards & signing Signals October 9: Shared Use Paths General design principles Pathway geometry October 23: Shared Use Paths Intersection Design Mid-block crossings November 6: Bikeway Maintenance and Operation

DISCOUNT FOR WEBINAR PARTICIPANTS http://www.walkinginfo.org/training/pbic/ AASHTO_Promo_Flyer.pdf Link will be emailed to webinar attendees

SOME BACKGROUND What is AASHTO? Mission: provides technical services to support states in their efforts to efficiently and safely move people and goods Some history Last Guide 1999, largely written in 96-98 Survey to update Guide - 2004 Standards vs. guidance (Shall vs. should or may) Relationship between AASHTO Guide and the MUTCD Innovation vs. accepted practice

RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER MANUALS 2009 MUTCD FHWA 2011 AASHTO Green Book Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG) 2010 Highway Capacity Manual

AASHTO VS. NACTO GUIDE: EITHER/OR? AASHTO covers paths + onroad bikeways AASHTO covers design comprehensively AASHTO covers many but not all innovations NACTO is a source of information for solutions that are currently experimental

DESIGN GUIDANCE OF GREEN BOOK Share use path design generally follows principals of the Green Book Design speeds Horizontal & vertical curves Cross slopes Sight distances

ENGINEERING JUDGMENT The treatments described reflect typical situations; local conditions may vary and engineering judgment should be applied.

CHAPTER 5 DESIGN OF SHARED USE PATHS MAJOR CONTENT CHANGES New stand-alone chapter fills missing gaps in the old Guide New/Revised/Expanded Guidance on: Accessibility Sidepaths Widths, Shoulders and Safety Rails Design Speed Horizontal Alignment Speed Control Stopping Sight Distance Path/Roadway Intersections (discussed in next webinar)

INTRO TO SHARED USE PATHS Bikeways physically separated from motorized traffic Typically designed for two-way travel Supplement a network of on-road bike facilities

SHARED USE PATH USERS Bicyclists Upright adults, children Kick scooter users Recumbent & tandem users All others Bicyclists pulling trailers/bikes Pedestrians Walkers Runners Wheelchair users People with strollers People walking dogs Inline/roller skaters

USERS Motorized vehicles not recommended Can accommodate horses with an adjacent bridle trail

SHARED USE PATH LOCATIONS Abandoned or active railroad Rivers Lake and ocean fronts Canals Utility rights-of-way College campuses Roadway corridors called sidepaths

SHARED USE PATH LOCATIONS Lakes and Ocean Fronts Along Canals

SHARED USE PATH LOCATIONS Utility rights-of-way Rivers

SHARED USE PATH LOCATIONS College campuses Roadway corridors called sidepaths

SHARED USE PATH PURPOSES Off-street residential connection or school access Commuting route Recreational route

ACCESSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS Must meet accessibility requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act Public right-of-way: Public Rights-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG) Independent rights-of-way: Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) on Accessibility Guidelines for Shared Use Paths

SHARED USE PATH BASICS Primary design user: adult bicyclist Guide instructs for adjustments if another user type is primary Paths frequently used by children: Children s design speed are accommodated in the guide Use engineering judgment to modify other values

SEPARATION OF DIRECTIONS Provides space for directional travel Solid where passing is not permitted Broken where passing is permitted Along entire length of trail or only where operational challenges exist

SEPARATION OF USERS Bi-directional walking lane for pedestrians with directional lanes of travel for cyclists At least 5 feet for pedestrians At least 10 feet for bicyclists

SEPARATION OF USERS In areas with extremely heavy pathway volumes

SEPARATION OF USERS Be aware that if pedestrians outnumber bicyclists, they are less likely to follow the rules.

SEPARATION OF USERS

SIDEPATHS New term in guide Sidepath = shared-use path that runs along a roadway Supplements, does not substitute on-road bicycle facilities Provides separation from motor vehicles, Guide has extended guidance on potential conflicts

ONE-WAY SIDEPATHS May be possible to place one-way paths on both sides of a roadway Provides planning and design considerations GET the best picture of Cambridge s MIT cycletrack from Nick

SIDEPATHS

SIDEPATHS If along a high-speed highway, a sidepath should have 5 feet or more separation or a barrier

SHARED USE PATH DESIGN BASICS Widths and Clearance Design Speed Horizontal Alignment Cross Slope Vertical Alignment Stopping Sight Distance Other Considerations (Surface, Bridges & Underpasses, Drainage, Lighting)

WIDTH AND CLEARANCE 10 feet = minimum width 11 feet is needed for passing 10- to 14-foot width is typical Wider path accommodates higher volumes or more varied user groups Guide sets forth specific scenarios where a wider path may be warranted 8 feet is acceptable in rare circumstances

SHOULDERS Graded should 3-5 feet recommended with maximum 1:6 cross slope Minimum 2-foot clearance or 1-foot clearance to smooth features Recommended 5-foot separation to roadways, use barrier or rail if less than 5 feet

SHOULDERS Provide 5-foot separation to trailside hazards or slopes of 1:3 or steeper Provide barrier or safety rail if separation is less than 5 feet

DESIGN SPEED Old guide: minimum 20 mph design speed New guide: 18 mph generally sufficient Additional guidance on selecting design speed Higher in hilly terrain, up to 30 mph

HORIZONTAL ALIGNMENT: LEAN ANGLE Maximum lean angle = 20 degrees Min. Curve 60 feet at 18 mph

HORIZONTAL ALIGNMENT: SUPERELEVATION Recommended for unpaved paths or bike only paths with tighter curves

CROSS SLOPE PROWAG & ANPRM on Shared Use Paths require maximum cross slopes of 2% 1% recommended Superelevation typically not needed, so cross slopes can follow terrain Transition Rate 1% in 5 feet

SPEED CONTROL ON PATHS Introduces concept of using geometry (curvature) and traffic control to reduce user speed Depends on site specifics

GRADE Between 0.5 & 5%, no steeper than adjacent roadway New guide removes specific grade restrictions, refers to shared-use path provisions in ANPRM for paths. To mitigate excessive grades, consider: Higher design speeds 4 to 6 ft additional width Exceed min clearances, recovery areas, railings Hill warning sign for bikes, other signage Switchbacks with extra width Resting intervals w/ flatter grades

STOPPING SIGHT DISTANCE Based on wet conditions New 0.16 braking coefficient of friction 2.5 seconds reaction time

VERTICAL CURVE LENGTH Consider other users Recumbent cyclists sit lower and travel faster, if many are expected, crests should be longer

HORIZONTAL SIGHT DISTANCE

UNPAVED PATHS May be appropriate for rural or recreational paths Typically crushed stone, stabilized earth, limestone screenings However Some users cannot traverse Drainage issues Difficult to plow

PATH SURFACE Asphalt Typically lower construction cost Concrete Typically longer service life Maintain a smooth surface Consider subsurface drainage

BRIDGES AND UNDERPASSES Maintain at least minimum path and shoulder widths, typically 14 feet (10-foot path & two 2-foot shoulders) Bridge railings 42 inches (48 inches in some cases) Vertical clearance 10 feet

DRAINAGE Minimum recommended slope of 1% Cross slope with terrain if possible If needed, ditches and culverts should not present a hazard Consider low-impact development techniques

LIGHTING Where nighttime use is permitted Pedestrian scale fixtures Consider 0.5 to 2 foot candles Higher illumination at crossings

THANK YOU! Contact information: Questions? Eric Mongelli, P.E. Toole Design Group emongelli@tooledesign.com Tom Huber Toole Design Group thuber@tooledesign.com

WEBINAR 6: ROAD/PATHWAY INTERSECTIONS Midblock & side path crossings Intersection control treatments Assignment of right-of-way Other crossing considerations Transition zone Traffic calming at intersections Approach markings and signs Webinar Date: October 23 Presenters: Eric Mongelli, PE & William Schultheiss, PE